KUALA LUMPUR — The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) should have chosen the F/A-18 Super Hornet over South Korea’s FA-50 Block 20 light combat aircraft, former US Navy fighter pilot Trevor Hartsock has suggested.
Speaking with Scoop, Hartsock, who trained RMAF fighter pilots in Butterworth, Penang, said that Malaysia needs a “capable, tough, and reliable” fighter jet.
“For the money, it’s really tough to beat the newest Super Hornet,” he said.
“Today the RMAF should buy the new Block 3 Super Hornet. It’s not only very capable but more importantly to the RMAF, it’s extremely durable and maintenance-friendly.”
On concerns that the F/A-18 legacy Hornets from Kuwait, which Malaysia plans to purchase, are nearing technological obsolescence, Hartsock—who piloted the same aircraft during his military career—dismissed these concerns, suggesting it depends on their intended role.
Highlighting that the legacy Hornets would not be obsolete for Malaysia’s defence objectives, Hartsock reiterated that the RMAF would benefit from the aircraft’s sturdy airframe and versatile capabilities in both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
Although the Kuwaiti Hornets are an older variant than Malaysia’s current fleet, Hartsock indicated that any compatibility issues would be minimal.
“Compatibility issues should be minimal. To my knowledge, there are just minor differences in some of the avionics,” he said.
Hartsock, who goes by the callsign “Gonky,” has previously collaborated with the Kuwaiti Air Force and certified their training simulators. He also commended the maintenance standards of Kuwait’s Hornets.
Having trained RMAF’s F/A-18 Hornet pilots from the 18th Squadron in Butterworth between 2012 and 2015, Hartsock gained insights into Malaysia’s military strategies. According to him, the RMAF maximises its limited range of aircraft through rigorous training, often surpassing even typical US military training regimes.
“The legacy Hornets, which are naval fighter jets, would be suitable for Malaysia given their durability and relatively low maintenance costs,” Hartsock noted.
Malaysia currently operates eight F/A-18D Hornets acquired in 1997, while Kuwait’s jets have been in service since 1991.
Last year, Malaysia and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a contract worth nearly RM4 billion for 18 units of the FA-50 Block 20 light combat aircraft, with half of the amount to be paid via counter trade involving crude palm oil or palm oil products.
Notably, the 18 Korean FA-50s ordered by Malaysia is only a light combat aircraft and fighter in-lead trainer compared to the Super Hornets which operates as a naval multirole fighter jet.
Currently, Malaysia intends to purchase additional legacy Hornets which is an older and smaller version of the Super Hornet. Hartsock has previously explained that naval fighters, which are designed to land and take off from aircraft carriers, are built to be more durable and sturdier.
Malaysia intends to purchase the Korean FA-50 to replace its fleet of 12 ageing BAE Hawks, which has been in operation since the 1990s.
Meanwhile, RMAF’s interest in Kuwait’s legacy Hornets is understood to be a stop gap measure until the government decides on a suitable fighter for the multi-role combat aircraft (MCRA) program which is part of Malaysia’s Capability Development 2055 (CAP55) initiative.
In terms of modernisation, critics have suggested that Malaysia’s air force lags behind its regional neighbours as Singapore is set to received 20 F-35 Lightning stealth fighters, while Thailand boasts several Swedish JAS 39 Gripen.
Last month, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin announced Kuwait’s favourable response to Malaysia’s interest in purchasing their F/A-18 Legacy Hornets, with a special task force established to oversee negotiations.
Although no figures have been disclosed, the cost of a new F/A-18 Hornet is estimated at around US$66 million (RM295 million) per unit. As the Kuwaiti jets are second-hand, the acquisition cost is expected to be substantially lower.
Kuwait is retiring its legacy Hornets as it transitions to the more modern F/A-18 Super Hornets, which are larger and more technologically advanced. — November 6, 2024
